1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an image forming device in which a plurality of objects of interest each having a storage area for storing object-related information of the object are respectively identified by an identifying device. The present disclosure relates to an identifying device provided in the image forming device, a semiconductor integrated device disposed in each object of interest, and an identifying method for an identifying device in the image forming device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, in an image forming device according to the related art, such as a printer or a copier, toner information with respect to toner bottles in the image forming device is input to a main controller of the device, and the serviceability of the image forming device is managed based on the information in order to improve the quality of image and improve the operability of the device. The toner information here may contain, for example, a serial number of each toner bottle, toner color information, a toner remaining quantity of each toner bottle, etc.
Typically, in a network printer connected to a personal computer (PC) via a network, the toner information is input to a main controller of the network printer. In order to detect the toner information for each of the toner bottles, the network printer is arranged so that the information of replacement parts, such as toner bottles, may be input to the main controller.
In the network printer, an IC chip having a storage area for storing the toner information is disposed in each of the toner bottles. When a toner bottle in the network printer is replaced with another one, the toner information from the chip disposed in the toner bottle is input to the main controller of the network printer. When the input of the toner information is detected at the main controller, the network printer transmits the toner information to the PC via the network. The PC identifies the color of each toner bottle based on the color information contained in the received toner information, and the toner information, including the toner remaining quantity of each toner bottle, etc., is displayed on a display monitor so that a user is notified of a next replacing time of the toner bottle.
A drawer connector which interconnects the toner bottle and the main controller is used to perform data communication between the toner bottle and the main controller. The operation of the drawer connector is interlocked with the attaching operation of a toner bottle, and the drawer connector functions to establish electric connection between the main controller and a recording medium of the toner bottle in which the toner information is stored. The recording medium is disposed in the toner bottle.
When the drawer connector or the like is used to perform the communication of information between the main controller and the recording medium in the toner bottle, there has been a possibility that a loose connection between the recording medium and the main controller may arise. In addition, when carrying out inventory control of image forming device component parts in a warehouse, it has been necessary to supply power to all the IC chips of the toner bottles in which the recording mediums are disposed and write information to each recording medium. Such inventory control requires time and effort.
To eliminate the problem, in another image forming device according to the related art, the toner information stored in the recording medium of each of the toner bottles is transmitted to the main part of the image forming device by making use of RFID (radio frequency identity) communication. RFID communication is a contact-less solution. In this age forming device, the state of each of the toner bottles is managed for each color based on the color information of the toner, the serial number of the toner bottle, and the toner remaining quantity of the toner bottle, contained in the toner information.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-202643 discloses an image forming device which is adapted to be managed in an optimized manner even after a component part thereof is replaced with a replacement part.
In the above-described image forming device according to the related art, the color of the toner bottle is identified based on the toner color information contained in the toner information read from the recording medium, and the state of the toner bottles of the respective colors is managed. For this reason, in the image forming device according to the related art, it has been necessary to store, in the recording medium provided in the toner bottle, the toner information containing the color information of the toner bottle.
However, in recent years, in consideration of the cost, it is desired to reduce the amount of information stored in the recording medium, and thereby reducing the capacity of the storage area in the recording medium.